Broaden the Vision and Narrow the Focus: Managing in a World of Paradox

(Hardback)

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Today's managers and leaders are faced with paralyzing challenges. There is never enough time or resources to get everything accomplished, and every organization is constantly being pulled in multiple directions. Every decision has consequencessome immediate, some longer-term. Add to these challenges the politics of corporate culture, where issues of power, influence, and authority are constantly in play. Whether you are a CEO, business owner, department head, team leader, or in any other managerial position, you need to learn how to navigate these treacherous shoalsto be flexible and decisive, supportive and commanding, tactical and strategic. In this fascinating analysis of business life, James Lucas identifies over a dozen fundamental paradoxes of leadership and demonstrates how the greatest leaders embrace, rather than avoid, them. From exercise authority and share power to encourage cooperation and encourage conflict, Lucas shows readers how to pursue seemingly incompatible goals simultaneously and thrive in a world of ambiguity. Whether you are formally in charge or find yourself in a position of de facto influence, this book will open your mind to new ways of solving problems, overcoming inertia, and turning uncertainty into opportunity. For more information and resources, please visit www.paradoxbasedleadership.com. Today's leaders are faced with paralyzing challenges. There is never enough of anything to get everything accomplished. Every decision has consequencessome immediate, some longer-term, all serious. Every organization is constantly being pulled in multiple directions, and our frustration can swell as we see value in all of them. One authority instructs us to take charge, while another tells us to empower our employees. We're instructed to challenge our people with high expectations, and to allow for human error; to tightly align our organizations, and to open them organizations up to all possibilities. We face one crippling dilemma after another. Are we going to do A or B The answer is yes, we're going to do it all. We're going to have high expectations and high tolerance; strong leadership that takes a back seat; crisp alignment with anarchic creativity. Whether you are a CEO, division or department head, team leader, or entrepreneur, you're going to learn how to navigate these treacherous shoalsto be flexible and decisive, supportive and commanding, tactical and strategic. For more information and resources, please visit www.paradoxbasedleadership.com. Great leaders understand that leadership is a both/and, not an either/or game. In this groundbreaking book, James Lucas demonstrates how to pursue seemingly incompatible goals and thrive in a world of ambiguity. You'll see that, while a paradox seems to require irreconcilable actions, it is only an apparent contradiction. The value comes from seeing through the illusion. You will explore twenty fundamental paradoxes of leadership, culture, talent management, and strategy. You'll learn how to embrace, rather than avoid, these unavoidable paradoxes, examine both sides find practical techniques for avoiding common pitfalls, and ultimately discover creative solutions that reconcile apparently conflicting priorities. Whether you are formally in charge or find yourself in a position of de facto influence anywhere in your organization, this book will open your mind to new ways of thinking and allow you to turn uncertainty into opportunity. You've always sensed that these paradoxes were there. With this book, you'll be able to bring them into the light and make them work for you.

Reviews

Consultant Lucas notes that paradox is a constant in the world of business. Strong leaders should also be virtually invisible. Departments should be structured and efficient but also flexible and creative. However, he also points out that paradox provides only an apparent contradiction, and that through practice and discernment business leaders can embrace paradox as a powerful and practical method of influencing and progressing. He gives twenty power paradoxes to explore and experience, including paradoxes in leadership, culture, talent and strategy, such as spreading both optimism and the ugly truth, focusing on and ignoring results, creating and expecting passion, increasing pressure and reducing stress, encouraging both cooperation and conflict, and moving faster while taking more time. He concludes with advice on applying the principles to create lasting impact and widespread wealth. * Reference & Research Book News *

Author Bio

James R. Lucas is President & CEO of Luman Consultants International, Inc. A recognized authority on leadership and organizational development, he is dedicated to developing passionate, thinking, high-performance leaders, people, teams, and organizations. Jim is the author of thirteen previous books, including The Passionate Organization, Fatal Illusions, and Balance of Power. He is also an award-winning senior faculty member of the American Management Association (where he has led its premier course, The Course for Presidents) and has taught in the School of Professional Studies at Rockhurst University.